Button forming and wire inserting machine



J 1939. I I 1. c. STRINGER 7 2,1

BUTTON FORMING AND WIRE INSERTING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnven iolf By I June 1939- L. c. STRINGER 2,163,071

BUTTON FORMING AND WIRE INSER'I ING MACHINE Filed May a, 1957' s Sheets-Sheet 2 jg. f0.

Invenior Z-- lfzrz'i zyez f 0 By I Attorneys June 20, 1939.

F'iled May 6, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 J. (5 62212 war- A itorneys Jun 20, 1939. g, s iNg I 2,163,071

BUTTON FORMING AND WIRE INSERTING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 j zj'ujf VIII/I Inventor 2;. (lJfWer v Attorneys June 1939- c. STRINGER 2,163,071

BUTTON FORMING AND WIRE INSERTING mourns s'sheets-sne'et 5 Filed May 6, 1957' Inventor lf iiz'iijei'fl Attorneys Patented 1.....20, 1939 j PATE T OFFICE 2.163.071 nu'r'ron ronmnc. AND. wmn msnarmc 'mcnmn Louis 0. Stringer, Chicago, ni.,' assignor to Electronics Supply Corp., a corporation ofllelaware Application May 6, 1937, Serial No. 141,149

' 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to what is believed to be a new and structurally novel hand actuated and controlled machine for use in the electric lamp and bulb industry, wherein said machine isexpressly constructed to operate substantially automatically and mechanically to expeditiousiy construct assembly.

In this particular line of endeavor much precision and care. requiring. painstaking eiforts, must be resorted to in perfectly constructing the filament mount preparatory to enveloping or incorporating it in the bulb or globe. In the more expensive type bulbs a now somewhat primitive-method is followed which consists in making that portion of the mount known as the multiple wire retention button. It is unnecessary, it is believed, to provide here a resume of. this class of handiwork other than to say'that 'after the head or button is fashioned, the filament supporting wires are attached thereto, by hand, involving a one-by-one tedious and unreliable procedure. Confronted with the unnecessary time consuming and laborious handmethods now in use, I have, after much experimentation and due de-' liberation, developed a machine which will do mechanically, which was heretofore done by hand,

such machine being so designed as to do a better job in an almost uncanny uniform and standardizedmanner. 1 i 1 While the cardinal point of-the conception is the preferred machinery adapted for this express purpose, novelty is thought to reside also in the methodical or procedural ways and means of clenching or bending thewires into requisite exactitude in so far as companionate relationship is concerned.

0 Manifestly, my chief aim is, therefore, to pro mote progress in'this industrial line of endeavorthrough the adoption and useof an expedient and practicable mechanical machine or device, which, through the aid of a skilled attendan t, will per- 45 mit the button and wire assembly, as a unit, to be perfected with requisite certainty andspeed.

Other features and. advantages of the invena so-called button and wire casting the button, imbedding the wires, and J Figure 2 is a horinontal section on the plane of the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is .a vertical sectional view taken on v the plane of the line 3 -3of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the wire holding andinserting oscillatory chuck.

may be said to be approximately on of the-line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of the radially projectible and retractible wire holding plungers or ejectors.

Figure 7 is a horizontal section of the line 1-1 of Figure 1. a Figure 8 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing features of the so-called mount, that is, the standard or reed and glass on the plane button.

Figure -9 is a horizontal section on the line 9-9'of Figure 8.

Figure- 10 is a perspective view of one of the wire adapting and projecting plungers. v

Figure 11 is a view in section and elevation showing how the wire bending result is accomplished.

Figure 12is a perspective group assembly view Figure 5 isa horizontal sectional view which the plane of the features which go to make up that part i of the mount referred to in the trade as the multiple wire-equipped button.

Figure 13 is a section on the line l3-l3 of Figure 11.

Figure 14 is a detail sectional view showing how the two companion parts of the casting mold come together to fashion button. I

Figure 15 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper end of the fluted or grooved movable mold section. v

Referring now to the drawings, and conveniently to Figure 1, it will be observed that the invention is a bench-type contrivance such as may be conveniently referred to as a machine. The bench is indicated by the numeral It. The

. stand or base unit is unitarily identified by the numeral l1 and comprises an appropriate base plate ll having perpendicular uprights I! with or form the head of the swivel fixtures .20 supported on the upper ends.

thereof." The-burner heads, of the gas blower head includes a manifold 22 with a battery of nozzles 23,. Rising centrally between the uprights i9 is an integral adapter member-.24 having a 4 designates a magazine-type chuck.

vertical slot 25 provided along one edge with selectively usable keeper notches 26. This constitutes the bearing or mounting for the molding and bending unit. Also forming a part of the base is a suitable inclosure or housing 21 forming a casing for the pinion 28. As seen in Figure 7. the gear casing has a-bearing '29 to accommodate the pinion shaft 38 and hand-wheel 3|. It will also be observed in Figure '7 that there is a slot in the adapter mounting 24 opposite to the slot 25 permitting entrance of the pinion. Then, too, the base includes'a standard 32 rising to an appropriate height and having a horizontal reach arm 33 at its top adjustably mounted as at 34. On the free end of the reach arm is a depending pin 35 terminating in a head 36 suitably faced with a graphite or carbon disk 31. The features 36-and 31 constitute the relatively stationary part of the casting mold.

Advantage is taken of this arrangement by placing on the pin a sleeve 38 having bayonet slot and pin means 39 and4ll. At the bottom of the sleeve is a knurled collar 4| which functions as a wire bending matrix, as hereinafter disclosed (see Figure 11).

I next call attention to the numeral 42 which This is adapted to be chargedwiththe customary long and short filament supporting wires -43-and 44,

respectively. structurally, this part 42 comprises a disk or plate 45 centrally apertured and having a .series of properly spaced radial grooves 46 constituting slideways for the projectlble and retractible plungers 41. The plungers are made in long and short series, as shown diagrammatically inFigure 6, to accommodate correspond-r ingly proportioned wires 48 and 44. Then, too,-

each plunger has at its outer end a head 48 provided with a seat 49 to receive the correspondin end of the wire to be inserted in the button. Furthermore, the numeral 56 designates an actuating pin extending down through adjacent slots in the plate, as seen in Figures 3 and 11.,

The marginal portion of the wire charged plate is surrounded by an annular rim including a relatively rotatable ring 5| having riveted thereto a flanged'annulus 52. These two features 5| and 52 provide the turnable or rotatable rim, this being provided with an operating handle 53. The part 5| has cam. slots 54 therein, as seen in Figure 4, to accommodate the headed end of the pin 56. Hence, by rotating the rim in relation to the plate 45, the cam slots and coacting pins coordinate to project the plungers 41 inwardly and to carry the wires in the same direction for anchorage.

It is to be observed that the central portion of the plate 45 is provided with a square collar 55 fitting non-rotatably on the correspondingly shaped upper end of a reciprocatory cylinder 56 slidably mounted in the adapter mounting 24.

Furthermore, the upper, part 51 of this collar constitutes the relatively movable matrix to coact with the aforementioned relatively stationary matrix 4| to bend the wires 43 and 44.-

Attention is now called to the numeral 58,- this designating a reciprocatory tube. The upper end thereof is formed into a head, as at 59 (see Figures 14 and '15), this head forming a rela-- 6|, to properly space the inner ends of the wires- 43 and 44 as they are projected, by the aforevided with a lifting and lowering handle 66 ex- 5 tending out through the slots 25 and selectively engageable with the keeper notches 26.

- In order to simplify the assembly, there is slidably mounted in theinner cylinder or tube 58 the hand twirled holding and spinning spindle 10 64 for the glass rod 65. As before indicated, this glass-rod is commonly referred to in the trade as a button. It is slipped down into a socket in the upper end of the spindle 64 and is held therein by spring retention clips 65', as shown in Figure 15 8. It is alternately rotatable and slidable in the inner cylinder 58 and provided at its bottom with an operating knob 66. .As soon in Figure 3, the lower knob-equipped portion of the spindle is properly shouldered as indicated at 61 to limit 20 the downward drop of said spindle when it is released by hand.

In practice it is to'be understood that the chuck-type wire holding magazine 42 is properly charged with the customary group of seven wires, 25,

this being done by a companion attendant sothat it is in readiness for use by the operator of the machine. It follows, therefore, that when the magazine 42 has been properly loaded with the wires, it is placed on top of the reciprocatory 30 cylinder or jack 56.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The first thing to do is 'to place one of the standard out reeds or glass rods 65 in the holding spindle 64. This is accomplished as seen in a.

Figure 8 and the machine is now set to begin operations. In the first place, the operator catches hold of the knob 66 and pushes the spindle upwardly in relation to the relatively stationary surrounding sleeve or tube 68. This 4Q heated to the desired degree, the knob 66 is re- 50 leased and the holder 64 dropped down to the position seen in Figure 3. While the glass is in this molten or substantially plastic state, the next operation is to grasp the handle 68, lift up 'on the tube or sleeve 58 to bring the two heads 66 and 55 59 together to mash or compress the glass therebetween. This casts or forms the head 66 on the glass rod. Then the handle 66 is properly lowered to bring the headed glass rod down into the chuck again so that the inner ends of the 43 and 44 can be projected into the glass head or button 68. This means thatall that is necessary here is to grasp the handle 52 of the chuck and to turn it, thus projecting the wires through the slits 6| into the glass to properly space and anchor the wires. When this is accomplished, the handle 66 is returned to its original position so that the wires register again with the slots 46 in the chuck plate 45.

After the wires have been allowed to set sumciently long to become satisfactorily anchored in the button, they must then be bent into the perpendicular L-shaped form seen in Figure 11.

This is accomplished by lifting the complete jack, including the chuck head, to bring the 75.

Moreover, 45

I matrices ll and 51 into play. Before this is effected, howeveathe sleeve 38 of the matrix II is lowered and locked in place so that the cup end ll is now down over the molding head 36, as shown'ln Figure 11. The matrix ll thus becomes a form around which the wires are bent to L- shape form. As the movable matrix 51 comes up and around the matrix 4|, this brings the parts into telescoping relationship, and obviously bends impinge thereon. This oscillation about the axis a .the button G8 this being accomplished by squeezthe wires. Now thejack, including the chuck or magazine, is lowered, and the wire-equipped unit is extracted, as is obvious.

It has been found expedient and practicable to include in the upper end of the cylinder an insert 69 having a cushioning springto allow the head 59 to recede into the same during the wire bending operation, as is brought out in Figure 11.

The method phase of the discovery is evident from the diagrammatic group illustration appearing in Figure 12 of the drawings. First, we begin with the glass rod 65, which is a stock product. This is inserted in the hand spindle which is lifted up and-turned back and forth with the fingers while the flames from the burners oi the rod quickly preheats the upper end of the glass to a state to permit it to be flattened into ing or clamping the heated and of the-glass rod between the clamping'or molding heads 59 and 36, respectively (see Figure 14). Then the wires are inserted in the manner described and as shown in said Figure 12. Finally, they are bent mechanically by the liftable jack" means. l'I'hese steps are brought out to advan'tagein Figure 12 of the drawings.

It is evident that a machine of the type herein shown and described is calculated to fulfill a long felt need in this particular line of endeavor. It is characterized by relative simplicity, taking into consideration the progressive stepsto be carried into eiiect. Its operation is sufiiciently simple to Justify unqualified endorsement by the trade in general.

Itisthought that the description taken in con-' nection with the drawings will enable a clear understanding of the invention to be had. There- 'fore, a more lengthy description is thought unnecessary. v I

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that minor changes coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired.

I claim:

1. A method of casting and constructing a button and wire assembly for use in an-incandescent. bulb mount consisting in first holding one end of the conventional glass rod in the path of a source of melting heat; secondly, compressing the melted end of the rod between approachable andseparable mold units; third, mechanically-inserting a multiplicity of filament supporting wires in the peripheral portion of the button; and, finally,

simultaneously subjecting the anchored wire ends to the clenching action of a press to bend the wires into relative parallel filament supporting. relationship. I

2. In an electric lamp button fashioning and wire inserting and assembling machine of. the class described, a relatively stationary support, heating means on said support, and a multi-part device on said support cooperable with the heating means, said device being manually actuated 2,1es,ov1

' for applying pressure-to and compressing the multiple wire charged magazine removably supend cooperablewith said first named head, means for raising and lowering the cylinder and hand twirled glass holding spindle slidably and and controlled and having means therein for spinning the conventional glass rod in the presence of heat, compressing the heated end to form the button, automatically and simultaneously anchoring filament-supporting wires in the button while in a molten sta'taand additional progres-.

sively actuable means for thereafter bending the anchored endsof the wires to dispose them in substantial parallelism for reception of the mament.

3. In a button forming and wire inserting and bending machine of the class described, means for supporting and handling a perpendicularly disposed glass rod, adjustable means for fusing one end portion of said rod, mechanical means said'base, a vertical standard attached to and I v rising from said base, a reach arm on the upper end of said standard overlying the base, a pin attached to and depending from said arm, a. sleeve slidably mounted on said pin and including a portion. forming a wire-bending matrix, a

cylinder slidably mounted on said base beneath l said pin and sleeve, said pin having a glass compressing head, a second sleevemounted for reciprocation in said cylinder, a handle for lifting and lowering said secondnamed sleeve, said last named sleeve being located directly beneath said first sleeve and pin and having ahead on its upper end cooperable with said first named head, means for raising and lowering the cylinder and sleeve as a unit in relation to said base, and a ported on said cylinder and including a wire bending matrix opposed to said first named matrix.

5, In a button-forming, wire-inserting and bendingmachine of the class described, a base,

opposed sets of burners, 'adjustably supportedv on said base, a vertical standard attached to and rising from said base, a reach arm on the upper end of said standard overlying the base, a pin attached to anddepending from said am, a sleeve slidably mounted on said pin and including a portion forming a wire-bending matrix, a cylinder slidably mounted on said base' beneath said pin and sleeve, said pin having a glass compressing head, a second sleeve mounted I for reciprocation in said cylinder, a handle for m lifting and lowering said second named sleeve, said last named sleeve being located directly beneath said pin and having a head on its upper sleeve as .a unit in relation to said base, anda wire charged magazine removably supported on said cylinder and including a wire bending matrlx; opposed to said first named matrix, and 'a rotatably mounted in the second named sleeve and operable independently in relation thereto.

6. A method of casting and constructing a but-. ton and wire assembly for use in an incandescent bulb. mount consisting in first holding one is end of theconventional glass rod in the path of a source of melting heat while oscillating about the axis of saidrod; secondly, compressing the melted end of the rod between coacting mold units; third, mechanically inserting a multiplicity of filament supporting wires in peripheral portion of the thus melted and compressed button; and finally, simultaneously subjecting the anchored wire-ends to the clenching action of a cylinder.

rality of bendable filament supporting wires in the peripheral portion otthe button; and finally, simultaneously subjecting the anchored ends to a bending operation.

8. In a construction of the class described, a base, a plurality of burners supported on said base, a standard attached to and rising from said base in predetermined relationship with respect to the burners, an arm on the upper end of said standard, a pin attached to and depending from said arm, a cylinder slidably mounted on the base and located between the arm and said base, said pin having a compressing head, a sleeveslidable in said cylinder, a handle for lifting and'lowering said sleeveysaid sleeve being located directly beneath said pin and having a head on its upper end cooperable with said first named head, means for raising and lowering the cylinder supported from said base, and a multiple wire charged magazine supported on said Louis 0. S'I'RINGER. 

